Years of quiet, efficient service to the Cyclists’ Touring Club in Norfolk were recognised by the award to Diss cyclist Tom Elkins of CTC Norfolk’s Service Shield.

Tom Elkins receives the Service Shield from Member Group Chair Sue Gatehouse. Picture: ROBERT AMIES

Tom edited the local group magazine “Cyclone” for many years and also organised the Garboldisham Groveller 200-kilometre Audax ride, which was long a feature of the mid-summer distance riding programme in the region.

Other award winners at the CTC – which is currently known as Cycling UK – lunch at The Cottage in Thorpe St Andrew included Rita Murrell (ladies clubrun attendance), Dave Annes (Midweek Rides), Robert Amies (Edgar Beckham Shield) and Paul Foster (Medal Rides).

It is sad to be reporting the passing of former Norwich Amateur Bicycle Club rider Jack Webster at the aged of 93.

Jack was a clubman, middle-marker time-trialist and roller-racing competitor in the 1950s.

He was also time trial secretary of the Norwich Amateurs from 1954 to 1959 at a time when this official’s duties involved running all the club’s open time trials, no small task for a club running a big programme of events ranging from 25 to 100 miles.

Steering a borrowed tandem stoked by Mike Johnson in 1956, Jack broke the Norwich to Cambridge and back record in a time of five hours, 17 minutes and 54 seconds. This record, set on a 96-inch fixed gear, has never been beaten.

With numbers boosted by Facebook advertising, more than 30 riders tested their fitness in the VC Baracchi 100-Kilometre Reliability Ride.

The route took them from Lowestoft to Halesworth and Framlingham, then into a freezing north wind to Harleston and St Olaves, before a final few tailwind miles home.

Some fast riders – including VC Baracchi’s 70 years young Chris Womack – swept down the tailwind descent into Walpole with such gusto that they mistook the route at the bottom and committed themselves to the steep climb out of the Blyth valley to Peasenhall – it was an act that added an extra five kilometres to their ride.

Organiser John Thompson was one of the last to finish, but fortunately he had carefully delegated the provision of tea and cakes at the finish.